


The Proposal

by Enigmatic_Soul



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Funny, Happy Ending, Romance, True Love's Kiss, light nsfw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-24
Updated: 2015-09-24
Packaged: 2018-04-23 05:52:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,128
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4865474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enigmatic_Soul/pseuds/Enigmatic_Soul
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>From a prompt in a Cullenites writing group on Facebook.<br/>“Cullen plans the perfect proposal for the Inquisitor, but everything seems to go wrong.”</p><p>Cullen x Delylah Trevelyan</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Proposal

**Author's Note:**

> I actually wanted to make a NSFW but I didn´t think that type of fanfic would fit this prompt, so I thought it would be better to do something more towards humor…a little.
> 
> So in some parts it became more romantic, in others a little funny. It´s not a strong NSFW, but it has a few things, that's why I put "Mature Rating". And I hope you like. :) It’s been years since I’ve written a real fanfic. I normally just write small texts for some of my images…
> 
> Special thanks to my beta reader, Tori from DeviantArt.

Cullen dashed around the bedroom, hurriedly getting ready for what was to be one of the most important nights of his life. Tonight was the night when his future would be determined by a simple yes-or- no question. Tonight was the night he would propose to the woman he loved. And, Maker, he was extremely nervous.

Their house in Val Royeaux had been a gift from Gaspard, just one of the many favors achieved for supporting him. After defeating Corypheus, the Inquisition was enjoying a calmer period; moments of peace, though always remaining vigilant. So Delylah had decided that this was a good time to enjoy a few days of luxury and rest.

Cullen opened a bottle of cologne, a present from Delylah, purchased months ago from one of the most expensive shops in Val Royeaux, and sprayed some of the liquid onto himself. _Will she recognize the scent?_ He hoped so.

He stopped in front of a mirror and decided to make good use of his extra time by practicing some “faces” and possible ways of asking her:

“Please do me the honor of becoming my wife.”

“Marry me, Delylah.”

“Will you marry me, Delyl-?”

 _Holy Maker, what’s that awful smell?_ Cullen sniffed the air again and gagged. It smelled like a dead animal. “What th-?” He narrowed his eyes suspiciously and looked at the bottle in his hand. It couldn’t be, could it?

“Sera!” he snarled angrily. “I´ll kill her!”

He ran to take another shower, scrubbing himself until his skin was red. He had to change clothes and barely had time to fix his hair. He was late. So very late. With no time to waste, he quickly left the room and went downstairs. 

                                                   

* * *

 

A cold wind blew through the streets of Val Royeaux, bringing with it a crisp scent that foretold the coming rain. High clouds had begun to gather overhead near dusk, masking the first stars. 

Delylah leaned against the frame of the open window, her hands idly clasped in front of her as she allowed the brisk night wind to sweep through her loosely bound hair, causing some light brown strands to dance. She breathed deeply of the cool night, marveling at the different scents that mixed together. There was the refreshing smell of rain, mixed with varied scents of the city, and the much more conspicuous aromas that drifted in from the nearby gardens.

She really needed this. A few days of rest, away from political issues and other problems. And best of all was getting to spend this time alone with the man she loved.

Cullen stared in awe at the sight before him. She looked beyond gorgeous. The dress she was wearing was a light lilac Orlesian silk that hung over her body, showing off her delicate, womanly figure. Two silver clasps held the dress up at her shoulders, and her back was exposed, giving full view of her milky white skin. Her hair was tied in a loose, thick side braid.

 _Maker’s breath_ , he sighed in wonder, _she is just so beautiful_! With a sinking feeling, he realized he had forgotten the bouquet of flowers he had secretly bought for her.

She noticed his presence and turned to face him. “You´re late,” she grumbled, pretending to be upset.

Cullen blushed and cleared his throat. “I´m sorry. I-uh…”

“I’m kidding, Cullen! Relax!” Delylah giggled, running towards him and taking his hand to lead him towards the window. “I’m not in a hurry. ”

He put his arms around her, and they stayed like that for a while, just holding each other close and watching the night sky through the window. His arm intertwined with hers, and she rested her head against his strong shoulder.

“Cullen…”

“Hm?” he asked before pressing a kiss to her temple.

“These are the happiest days I’ve had in a long time.”

Cullen turned her to face him. His hand came to her face, his gentle fingers lifting her chin so he could look into her beautiful blue eyes.

As wonderful as Delylah made him feel, a part of Cullen still believed she was too good for him. He loved everything about her: her strength, her beauty, her kindness. She made him feel like the bravest and strongest man in the world.

These days had been like peaceful, warm dreams. Only him and the woman he loves. And he knew that when they returned to Skyhold, things would be chaotic again. “I wish we could stay here forever.”

Under his gaze, a hot wave surged through her veins, heating her cheeks. Delylah lifted her hands and ran her thumb along his lips, brushing slightly over his scar. She felt the desire grow in her body and soul, her heart beating wildly.

Delylah wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her face, pleading softly, “Kiss me, Cullen…”

The commander could not deny her. Still holding her gaze, his mouth slowly descended to lightly brush her lips.

Delylah whimpered and stood on tiptoe, sliding her body against his to gain better access to his sweet mouth. They slowly increased the intensity of the kiss until their mouths opened. Then Cullen deepened the kiss, resting his hand on her neck and bringing her closer so he might quench his thirst. He angled his mouth to gently tease her lips with his tongue. Her lips parted naturally, her own tongue peeking out to deepen the kiss further.

Delylah found herself pressing against his masculine body. It was wonderful to feel the touch of those strong hands. She arched her neck, sighing as she felt him teasing her with scruffy kisses to her throat. And when his hand found the swell of her breast, she let out a breathy, pleasured sigh.

She pressed her lips to his throat, sucking on his Adam’s apple, then kissed his neck, right under his ear, gently biting into his ear lobe and coaxing a moan from his lips. She couldn’t help but smile against his skin.

Cullen growled and pushed her fiercely against the cool wall, driving his body against her. Delylah could feel his desire, like a warm current seeping through his skin to get to her blood. She felt the clenching muscles of his arms under her fingers, his breathing and his pulse accelerating with hers. She moaned into his mouth, hips rolling wickedly against him. Cullen deepened the kiss, savoring her sweet taste.

Delylah’s hand crawled further through his hair, her fingers curling against his scalp as she put more passion into their sweet, heated kisses. She moved her other hand to find the front of his pants and rubbed against his manhood. He pressed his hips against her palm, urging her on. His body ached for her touch.

Then, unintentionally, one of them bumped into a small marble bust, and it fell and broke. The sudden noise made him abruptly break off the kiss, leaving her lips slightly swollen.

“Sweet Maker, wait,” Cullen said, breathing heavily. It wasn’t easy to interrupt her kisses. Not an easy task at all. But he had an important plan to follow.

Breathless, Delylah stared at him, confused and frustrated. “Wait? Why? Is something wrong?”

“No,” he hurried to say. “Our dinner…” Cullen was still panting, his body painfully aching with unfulfilled desire.

“The dinner can wait.”

“No, not this time.” And then he added softly, “Though I’m in desperate need of a cold shower now.”

She crossed her arms, looking at him suspiciously. “Cullen, you’ve been acting strange all day. So what’s bothering you, _Commander_?”

Cullen shook his head, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Nothing. Stop worrying. I just planned a special dinner for tonight.” He took a flower from one of the vases and handed it to her.

Delylah´s blue eyes widened in surprise, and then she smiled. “Oh, Cullen…you know you don´t need-”

“Have I told you how beautiful you are tonight?” Even through the dim light of the living room he could see her blush. It was rather cute, honestly.

“Not yet,” Delylah said with a little smile.

“You’re gorgeous.” Cullen kissed her hand before pulling her towards him for a small kiss on her lips.

He had been attempting for over a month to get up the courage to ask her to marry him. He loved her. She loved him. Surely nothing could be more simple than asking Delylah Trevelyan to marry him? But it seemed that fate was plotting against him tonight.

First, that Maker-knows-what that Sera put in his bottle of cologne. Second, he’d forgotten the flowers. And finally, when he’d thought that everything would be fine, he found out they would have to walk to the cafe for dinner, because the carriage wheel had broken along the way.

The commander was worried about what else might happen. But Delylah tried to calm him, saying the cafe was not _that_ far away, and they could enjoy the walk and admire the city and grab a breath of fresh air.

“ _If_ it doesn’t rain before reaching the damn place,” he said, moody.

She laughed. “Don´t be so pessimistic. Everything will be fine.”

Later, in the cafe, Cullen´s mood lightened considerably. The place was nice and the music was good. Things were looking up. By the time their food arrived, Cullen hardly felt nervous, or so he was telling himself. Now he was just waiting for the perfect moment to pop the question.

Before he knew it, they had finished eating. _This is it. It feels like the right moment_. Taking a deep breath, he reached across the table and took Delylah’s hand in his, while his other hand reached into his pocket for the ring box.

He took another deep breath, and his heart rate suddenly shot up. "Delylah,” he started, “I was wondering if-” His fingers were still looking for the box in his pocket, now more frantically. “I-if you-” Cullen groaned in irritation.“This is ridiculous,” he muttered. He’d even tried practicing a speech, but now his tongue had frozen, and he couldn’t think of what to say.

“What is ridiculous?” Delylah asked, confused.

He suddenly froze. The ring wasn’t in his pocket. Or, at least, in _this_ pocket. He had a flashback to the moment not too long ago, when he was changing his clothes. Cullen had not only forgotten the ring, but his coin purse, too.

“Cullen?” Delylah´s voice brought him back to the present.

“I have to confess something, and I’m really sorry about this,” he said,“but I’ve forgotten my coin purse.”

For a few seconds, Delylah stared at him in astonishment. Cullen´s face was burning with embarrassment.

“And I was wondering if- if you could pay?” Definitely _not_ the question he had been wanting to ask her tonight- or ever, actually.

“Of course.” Her expression softened, and she slowly tangled her fingers with his, giving them a gentle squeeze. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I’m really sorry about this. I can’t believe I forgot. I-I’ll pay you back.” Cullen blushed, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment.

“Don’t worry about it,” she said again, giggling and waving her hand dismissively. “The food was great, and I enjoyed the evening. I don’t mind paying for it.”

“No, _I_ invited you. _I_ ought to pay.”

“But you never let me pay, even when _I_ invite _you_.”

Cullen took a deep breath as they rose to leave. The question had to be asked _tonight_ , because he didn´t think he could survive another night like this one.

They finally reached the house. In terms of size, it was not as extensive or splendorous as a majestic mansion. However, it was beautiful and elegant and with an excellent panoramic view. Surrounding the house were lush green lawns scattered between gardens of many colourful flowers. There was a glorious fountain and ornately carved wooden torches lit throughout the garden. As they walked slowly across the neat blades of grass, Cullen thought it was the perfect time.

He stopped and turned to look at her, holding her hands in his. “Can you wait here for a moment?”

Delylah raised an eyebrow, looking a little confused. “ I-yes…but why can’t I wait inside the house? It looks like it’s going to rain.”

“I will be quick, I promise.” Cullen wanted to make the proposal special, and this beautiful place and moment was perfect. “It’s a surprise.”

A smirk appeared on her face as she glared at him. All that mystery piqued her curiosity. Delylah gently squeezed his hand. “Alright. I´ll be right here.”

“I’ll be back soon, my love,” he whispered, kissing her forehead softly. She sat on a stone bench, watching him walk towards the house.

Five minutes later he was back and bringing something with him. A little dark box. Delylah rose from the bench, waiting for him to approach.

Cullen stopped in front of her, his amber eyes shining like golden flames, full of love for her. He was looking into her ocean blue eyes with determination and intensity.

Delylah melted inside, and her heart was beating so wildly in her chest that she feared it would burst.

“I love you,” Cullen started. He took her hands in his and looked at her. “Your strength, your beauty and kindness. I love your smile, your laugh. I love how you make _me_ smile. I love the way I can’t imagine a day without you in my life. I love how everytime I look at you, you take my breath away. I love the way you inspire me to be more than I am and your ability to make me feel better when times are tough. I love how you complete me, and I thank the Maker everyday for bringing someone as wonderful as you into my life.”

Delylah´s eyes twinkled as tears fell from her eyes. “Oh, Cullen…”

He slowly moved his hands to her face and wiped the tears away. “I want to be by your side for the rest of my life. I want to see your smile every day, and hear your voice every night.” His unwavering devotion rang in every word he spoke. “With the Maker and Andraste as my witness, I swear to you that I will make it my mission to make you happy until the day I die.”

He dropped to one knee and opened the small black box he held in his hands to reveal a silver ring.  
“Lady Delylah Trevelyan, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

For the first time in her life, Delylah was speechless. All the thoughts that normally buzzed around in her head stood still as she looked into his amber eyes. The only thought she had - the one word that continually exploded exponentially bigger and bigger, written in large, red letters, was a humongous, resounding _yes._

She nodded her head, pressing her lips together as tears prickled her eyes. “Maker, yes.”

“Yes?”

“Yes!” she shouted.

“Yes!” he repeated, rising to his feet and pulling her against his chest. “I love you,” he said against her lips, peppering her with kisses.

“I love you, too. With all my heart and soul,“ she said softly, looking into Cullen’s eyes, a bit of tears clouding her vision.

The commander took the ring from the box and started to slide it onto her finger. But it stopped halfway down - that was as far as the ring could go. _Uh oh_. "It doesn’t fit.” Cullen´s face burned with embarrassment…again.

“Don´t worry, we can fix that,” she said with a small chuckle.

“I’m sorry, Delylah.”

“It’s all right, Cullen.” She gently touched his face. “The ring doesn’t matter- I still said yes.” Delylah winked at him.

“Yes, you did.” Cullen let out a small chuckle and rubbed a hand behind his head.

“Little things don’t matter, Cullen. It doesn’t matter whether I have a ring or not.”

“I just…I wanted it to be perfect,” he told her.

“It was, my love. You completely surprised me. And the ring is beautiful, dinner was delicious, and-”

The first drops of rain started to fall.

“Oh, for Andraste’s sake!” Cullen shouted, incredulous. “This is ridiculous!”

They looked at each other and started laughing.

Their smiles slowly faded away as they stared into each other’s eyes, and the atmosphere changed around them. Their faces began to drift closer, as if magnetic, until their lips met.

The kiss started slowly, softly, sweetly. His lips were gentle, velvet against hers. Delylah wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands cupped her cheeks.

Moving ever so slightly, her head tilted and their lips parted. Their tongues touched as their kiss deepened and their mouths became more urgent.

She felt her stomach tingling, her whole body melting as the kiss ended, and another started… his arms slid around her, and she leaned into his arms. The world melted away. There was just the two of them, and a kiss. Lips parted, tongues mingled. A small grunt of satisfaction escaped Cullen’s throat as she nipped gently at his bottom lip.

Delylah decided that kissing in the rain was a surely thrilling experience. The heat from his lips mixed with the slight coldness of her skin made her whole body hum.

Delylah moaned into his mouth when he caressed one of her breasts, gently tugging at her hardening nipple through the wet fabric. She lost all sense of the world around her. Cullen buried his face in the valley between her breasts, leaving a fiery trail of kisses, until he reached her soft neck. His stubble against her skin sent shivers down her spine.

She felt her whole body ignite when his mouth moved over her body. She could feel his lips vibrate against her as he chuckled, leaving one last lingering kiss before pulling back and looking down into her eyes.

Their breathing was shallow and quick. The rain was now falling heavily, but the treetops above them still shielded them somewhat from the downpour.

Cullen took a deep breath, trying to get his mind and body under control, but the sight before him took his breath away; droplets of rain dripping from her hair, the water moving over her face, gliding down her throat, down towards the valley of her breasts. He lost his control. With a small groan he captured Delylah’s wet lips. He licked the rain from her lips, and claimed them again.

Delylah let out a gasp and a giggle when she felt herself being grasped and lifted. “Let´s finish what we started earlier this evening,” Cullen said with a grin as he carried her toward the house.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it. ;) <3  
> My tumblr: [alma-enigmatica.tumblr.com](http://alma-enigmatica.tumblr.com)


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